Tewolde has fought multiple times for Eritrea, one of the most closed societies on Earth, and is now praying another war is not about to break out with neighbouring Ethiopia.

"If the war starts, many people will go to the front and, as before, many children will lose their fathers, mothers will lose their husbands, parents will lose their children," said Tewolde, who is in his 40s and lives in the Eritrean capital Asmara.

He fought first in the late 1990s during Eritrea's horrific border war with Ethiopia, and more recently during clashes against rebels in the Ethiopian region of Tigray.

Now the fractious Horn of Africa rivals have begun trading barbs and accusations of war-mongering once more.

"We've already experienced this (before) and we know the losses are severe," said Tewolde, w

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